Shipping and utility carton



Nov. 10, 1936. 'r. RILEY SHIPPING AND UTILITY CARTON Filed Feb. 28, 1935 I INVENTOR. Hams RILEY ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIPPING AND UTILITY CARTON Conn.

Application February 28, 1935, Serial No. 8,749

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shipping and utility cartons and has more particular relation to improvements in cartons designed for shipping labels or markers which are to be subsequently attached to merchandise.

The improved cartons are specifically designed for the handling of labels which are so constructed as to be applied to the corners of merchandise, such, for instance, as sheets, pillow cases and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a compact shipping carton within which is placed a special holder, this holder being designed to receive and hold a series of nested corner labels. These labels are held in their doubled and nested condition by an interior holder which may be either partly or wholly withdrawn from the shipping carton proper.

As the labels are designed to be secured upon the corner of an article of merchandise by a single row of stitching, it is very important that they be held in their doubled condition to fit the corner of the merchandise and not be flattened out.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 represents a perspective view, partly broken away, of one of my improved shipping cartons with the container partly withdrawn in position for use.

Figure 2 represents an end elevation of the :same with the end of the carton opened.

Figure 3 represents a perspective view, partly broken away, of a modified form of label holder. Figure 4 represents a perspective view, partly broken away, of the holder completely withdrawn from the carton.

Figure 5 represents a top plan view of one of the individual labels.

Figure 6 represents a perspective view of the same; and,

Figure 7 represents a top plan view, partly broken away, of the label as applied to the corner of a sheet.

Heretofore in labeling merchandise, such as sheets, pillow cases and other flat articles, it has been the practice to sew flat labels at different 1 positions near the edge of the article. In nearly all cases such a practice has made'it necessary to carefully lift each article to disclose the article 50} below it as to size, quality, etc.

In the present instance, however, by applying the triangular labels to the corner of the article, such labels denoting quality and size are all brought into one line of vision and may be rapidly examined, simply lifting the corners of the sheets and allowing them to escape, one after the other.

This saving of time and labor is greatly to be desired as at the time the customer is usually impatiently waiting to be served.

By reference to Figure '7, it will be seen just how the label is applied to both sides of the corner of a sheet.

The label marked I is secured by a single line of stitching 2, and in order to make such stitching practical, it is imperative that the label will automatically fall into proper position upon each side of the corner of the sheet by downward pressure alone from the fingers of the operator and the foot of the sewing machine. In order to provide labels which are practically in condition for being applied to the corner of articles, I first provide a label 3 of the shape shown in Figure 5. This label is a woven label with the name, size and quality suitably woven into this texture by weaving machines, these latter forming no part of the present invention.

This label is creased along the line 4-4 shown in Figure 5 to provide a main portion 5 and two wing portions 6-45. In the process of manufacture, the labels are doubled and pressed along the line 4--4 so that they naturally assume and retain the formation shown in Figure 6. This formation is such that when the label is applied to the corner of a sheet, pillow case or the like as shown in Figure 7, and the wings 6-6 pressed downward with the finger or the foot of the sewing machine, the machine may be operated along the edges of the flaps 66 to secure the tag firmly in position on both sides of the sheet by a single line of stitching 2.

As the operator applying the labels must not only handle the label and place it in position, but also operate the sewing machine to guide the stitches properly over the label, it is imperative that the labels be held in such position as not to disturb their formation with the flaps 66 bent down partly towards the main portion 5 along the line 44.

My present invention contemplates not only shipping the labels in the above position, but also holding them in this position up to the instant they are grasped by the operator for placing them upon the corners of the sheets, pillow cases or the like.

To accomplish this holding of the labels, I provide a holder 8 having a base portion 9 and two upwardly inclined wings l0. These wings are free at their upper edges and converge towards each other as shown in the drawing.

The wings ID are, of course, free to be compressed upon the upwardly extending wings 6 of the labels or may be drawn or adjusted apart at their upper edges to enable the finger of the operator to be placed between them for extracting the labels one after the other from the holder. As the wings I0, however, are constantly bearing upon the wings 6' 6 of the labels, they tend to hold these labels in their doubled po s'itions both during shipping and when the holder is being used during the application of such labels.-

By this means when the carton is being used for shipping the labels, the wings Ill-I are pressed downward by the upper wall of the carton proper II to hold the labels in their nested positions with the flaps 6-6 pressed downward to completely maintain and set the doubled positions of the labels. When the labels are withdrawn for application, this setting of the wings 6-6 has become quite pronounced and the operator can readily apply the label to the corner of a sheet, pillow-case or the like with one hand while manipulating the sewing machine with the other.

The carton ll may be of any desired formation. I prefer, however, to make it from a single piece blank pasted into oblong shape and having end flaps l2 and side tongues l3 whereby it may be opened at either end and the holders 8 partly removed from the carton as shown in Figure 1.

As the labels are removed from the holder, the latter is adjusted in relation to the carton to disclose parts of the remaining labels which are still fenclosed. This use results in the carton proper 'holding the labels in doubled position up to the time that they are used by the operator, to prevent any possibility of the doubled wings assuming the normal position with the portion 5 of the label as shown in Figure 5. If the wings assume any such position this would necessitate the operator using two hands to double the wings 66 again into position for sewing after the label is applied to the sheet.

Such a procedure would greatly retard the operation of sewing the labels in place.

It is to overcome any such possibility that the present devices are constructed and used as they are.

By reference to Figure 1, it will be seen that the labels are nested one within the other and each label held with its wings 6 doubled by the next succeeding label and also by the wings I0 of the holder. Such nesting enables a great number of labels to be placed in a single holder and each in position to be quickly withdrawn from the inside of the next adjoining label by the index finger, as shown in Figure 1.

It will, of course, be understood that a rubber tip on the index finger may be employed to facilitate this withdrawing operation and to cause greater friction between the finger and the label.

In the modified form of holder I 4, shown in Figure 3, I have provided each of the wings H] with additional flaps or tongues l5. These flaps or tongues, when the holder is forced into the containing carton H, are forced downward into the opening between the edges of the flaps 6-6 and form an additional means for holding the labels firmly in their doubled positions without any chance of their shifting while in transit.

If so desired, the label holder may be withdrawn entirely from the carton proper when the labels are to be sewed upon the merchandise, as shown in Figure 4.

I- prefer, however, to utilize the holder and the carton to secure the labels in their doubled positions as long as possible before being used.

In order to add additional stiffness to the labels and thus maintain the position of the Wings after they are pressed into place, I contemplate impregnating the fabric from which the labels are made with a sizing or stiffening which will add more or less rigidity to them.

If so desired, the label wings may be depressed to be forced flat during shipment by the wings of the holder.

The form of holder shown in Figure 3 may be shipped without the outside carton by placing elastic bands about it and sealing each end.

It will be observed that the labels are nested to not only hold them in their doubled positions but to allow more labels to a carton and to hold them at all times to be withdrawn one at a time without disturbing the remaining labels.

What I claim is:

1. A shipping and utility carton comprising an outer shipping container having means for opening one end thereof, and a holder for doubled labels having flexible wings, said holder when forced into the carton engaging and holding the doubled positions of the labels in their doubled positions.

2. A shipping and utility carton comprising an outer container having means whereby it may be opened, and a label holder arranged to be placed within the carton and having flexible parts which firmly hold the labels in their doubled positions but permit withdrawal at will.

3. A shipping and utility carton comprising a shipping carton proper and a label holder having flexible parts so arranged as to be forced down into engagement with the labels to hold them in their doubled positions, but being capable of adjustment to allow the ready withdrawal of the labels.

4. A shipping and utility carton comprising a shipping carton proper and a flexible holder arranged to be forced into said carton or removed therefrom to hold doubled corner labels in their doubled positions, but release them when withdrawn from the pressure of the carton.

5. A shipping and utility carton comprising a shipping carton proper and a holder for labels having doubled wings, said holder arranged to hold said labels in their doubled positions tightly while held by the carton and loosely when withdrawn from the carton to allow the labels to be individually removed.

6. A shipping and utility carton comprising an oblong shipping container open at one end and a corner label holder arranged to be wholly or partly withdrawn from the open end of the container and having flexible flaps for holding the corner labels in their doubled and nested positions but allowing withdrawal of the same.

THOMAS RILEY. 

